A weekly outdoor after school program for Kindergarten – 6th graders in Gill, MA
(right across the street from the Gill Elementary School)
Winter/Spring Session
Mondays afternoons, 3:15 – 5:15pm
(Gill elementary students will be picked up at school at 3:10)
Jan 5th – May 18
We will not meet during February or April vacation
Program Description
This program brings together nature appreciation, social and emotional support and lots of physical activity. We’ll begin with 40 minutes for children to arrive and decompress after school. After gathering to have a snack, children can choose from a variety of active and restful activities including running around and exploring the land, jumping on a trampoline, rough-housing on a wrestling mat, visiting with small farm animals, working on art projects and chatting with friends. At 4pm we’ll gather and decide on a destination of our hour long adventure. Then we’ll begin to explore the land. Our explorations often include sensory-based exploration and will end with fire building and marshmallow roasting.
This site is not wheelchair accessible and does require that participants navigate unpaved terrain, and season specific things like ice, snow, bugs, and all kinds of weather. We will meet rain or shine! Our gathering space has a roof and screens protection so there will be some relief from rain, snow and bugs! But having weather appropriate clothing is a essential!
Schedule
3:10 – 3:20: Gill Elementary students will be met at Gill Elementary and walked to the program site
3:20 – 4:00: Snack and free time at the “club house”. Students coming from other towns may arrive at any time during this period.
4:00 – 5:00: Adventures in the woods.
5:15: pick up!
Payment
The cost of the program is a sliding scale of $270 – $630 (The actual cost is $450 but please pay more or less than this amount according to what is possible for you!)
Payments can be made monthly, in two parts or in full. Barter options may be available upon request. There is 1 full need-based scholarship space available for this program.